How to capture stars using your phone or tablet

The main difference between your phone and a digital SLR is the ability to manually control your shutter. The shutter is the part of your camera that opens and closes in front of the image sensor – so the longer it is open, the more light comes in – the shorter it is opened, the less light comes in. On a digital SLR you can manually control that, on a phone or tablet, you cannot.

When you are trying to capture stars, you want your shutter open longer than normal, so that you can capture that distant light from the stars in the sky.

To open your shutter on your device, there are two apps that will help you capture the stars in a photo.

Things you will need:

• A fully charged phone or tablet with an app installed.• Tripod or a DIY method of holding your device still (clip, zip-tie or gaffer tape) – when you open the shutter, any movement will cause the image to blur.• Torch.• Clear skies – the less moonlight, the better – the only light you want is from the stars.

Long Expo:

Free, simple, but it produces a sometimes noisy image, and is limited when compared to paid apps.

Workflow:

• Open the app and click the timer symboland select ‘low light.’

• Then click the shutter symbol here you can select your shutter speed. Experiment to find which one works best – but you will need be at least eight seconds or longer.

• On that same screen, below the shutter speeds is an option called ‘exposure cap’ – there is a slider there where you can adjust this – the higher you push it, the more sensitive the exposure becomes. This will however, cause more noise, or those little specs in the image that make it fuzzy and distorted – again, experiment to find what works for you.

• Secure your phone or device using a tripod or some other DIY method. A clip to a stationary object like a car bulbar or chair will work.• Find a frame you like – think about using something in the foreground to give your shot some perspective – it could be a distant roofline, a windmill or fence, or an interesting shaped tree for example – position your camera appropriately.• Take the shot hitting the camera button, and be careful not to shake your camera, or the image may become blurry.• Remember, if you’ve selected 8 or 16 seconds, you’ll need to wait for the shot to be taken.• Once the image has been captured, a few sliders will appear on the screen that will allow you to adjust the brightness, contrast and saturation – have a play and find an image you like – then click ‘save.’

Slow Shutter Cam:

Paid, simple, user friendly, more options than the free apps.

Workflow:

• Open the app and click the cog symbol. • A dialogue box will appear called ‘capture mode’• Select ‘low light’ on the top right.• The rest is up to you, but again, you’ll want to have shutter speed of over 8 seconds. • This app allows you to open the shutter for up to 60 seconds, so if it is really dark, dial it up.• Again, experimenting with the ISO and noise reduction will give you different results each time.• Secure your phone or device to a tripod or using your DIY method.• Frame your shot, and then hit the shutter symbol to take the photo.• Once the photo has been taken you will be presented with the option to adjust the exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation and hue – again, this is up to you, experiment and find an image that you like. • Remember, if you didn’t quite get the shot you wanted, try adjusting your shutter speed – make it longer if the photo is too dark, and shorter if it was too bright If it was blurry, make sure your camera was secured firmly.

Example: 30 second shutter, noise reduction ‘high’, turned the brightness down slightly, and bumped the contrast and saturation just a little.